Anata mo Watashi mo Pocky
by BeautifulTwisted
Summary: "You and Me and Pocky," that's what the add says, but who knew that a simple TV commercial could lead to so much? They say everything happens for a reason, but why did Kagome of all people have to find a lost kid? The kid of Sesshomaru Taisho of all people?
1. 21:43 9:43 pm

Anata mo Watashi mo Pocky  
>(You and Me and Pocky)<p>

BeautifulTwisted

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own Inuyasha…if you didn't understand, I'm a FAN writing a FANfic. **

**Important Note:** This story is taking place in Japan, however I am not that familiar with Japanese culture and society so a lot of things will probably seem American. Also, I don't know much about the police system and how they handle children that have been found, so it might seem highly improbable that they let Rin stay with Kagome, but for the story's sake, please just go along with it. Oh, and one more thing. Characters are probably going to seem OOC. Probably.

21:43 (9:43 p.m.)

Kagome Higurashi sighed as that annoying commercial popped up on the TV screen once again, the stupid one where people were eating pocky, taking a bite but over exaggerating the swing of their arm. Okay, perhaps it wasn't that stupid of an add because it certainly made her want to go out and buy pocky. Dammit, those stupid pocky commercials. Dammit, dammit, dammit. With a final frustrated huff, Kagome stood up from her comfortable place on the couch and threw the thin TV remote at the sleek, flat screen sitting on a rectangular cherry wood table. Of course, as always, she missed and the remote slammed into the wall instead.

Crap.

Following the loud thump of the plastic device hitting the wall was the yelling of the old cranky woman who lived in the apartment just to the left of Kagome's own small, one person apartment.

"Sorry Itou-san!" Kagome yelled to the elderly woman and then muttered to herself "It was all that stupid pocky commercial's fault." Itou-san, or as Kagome referred to her as 'bird lady' because of her eternally raised and squawking voice, was the kind of strange woman who was there opening her door to give you a disapproving glare when you accidentally let your own apartment door slam. She was that woman who creepily looked out her window, peeking from behind heavy curtains at you when you went outside or returned from shopping at the grocery store. Yes, she was THAT neighbor.

"Stupid pocky," Kagome continued to mumble to herself as she grabbed her wallet from the counter and slipped it into the pocket of her blue and white stripped pajama shorts. She slipped on her Pikachu slippers and took a hair tie and her car keys from what she referred to as her 'miscellaneous items bowl', a small ceramic bowl that always sat on her kitchen counter, and then continued to stomp out of her apartment to go to buy pocky...again.

Starting her car, she messily put her hair into a high ponytail before setting of to go quell her addiction. Stupid pocky.

Driving madly around like a blind person, Kagome reached her destination, the bright blue sign lit up in the dark, white English letters spelling out LAWSON. This was the same store she always went to when she was having pocky cravings.

Turning off her car and pulling the keys out, she hopped out of the metal contraption and let the door shut before walking grumpily into the store, catching the look the cashier was sending her way. With a roll of her eyes, she shuffled her Pikachu clad feet over to the aisle she knew her precious pocky would be. With her usual defeated sigh, Kagome scanned the shelves, choosing a few different boxes of various flavors of the chocolate and strawberry coated treat before going back to the check out counter to pay for everything.

At the counter, the cashier was a teenage boy who scanned her purchases and collected the rumpled bills she handed to him. As she turned to leave, she stopped as he called back to her, "Excuse me, Miss, but is that your kid?" The teenager motioned towards a small little black haired girl who was looking around the store in wonder.

Kagome's face twisted in confusion as the boy continued to speak. "It's just that, well, I thought she walked in with you and there's no one else here. Since we have to close soon, it would be best if you didn't forget her here. I mean, I don't want to bother you. But, if she's yours, which I believe she is, then you wouldn't want to, uh, leave her here." _'Wow, what an awkward kid,'_ Kagome thought as she glanced back to the talking teen.

Kagome looked to the little girl once more. She was probably six or seven. _'Why do I always get stuck with things like this? She probably ran away or something!_' Of course, looking at the adorable small girl Kagome knew what she had to do. Besides, if no one claimed her, then the girl would probably end up in the police station alone for the night while they tried to find her parents. Right?

"Yeah, sorry, I'll get her. Thanks, though," Kagome said as she slowly made her way over to the child looking at the shelves full of instant ramen, a rather amazed look on her innocent face.

Crouching down so she was around the same height as the girl, Kagome gently brushed her petit shoulder with her own slender fingers. The startled girl jolted slightly before relaxing upon Kagome's appearance. Pajama's and Pikachu slippers weren't exactly that threatening.

"It's, uh, time for the store to close," Kagome stated somewhat awkwardly, not sure if she should be gentle. "We should probably leave now so they can lock up."

The girl's eyebrows knitted together before she nodded and grabbed Kagome's hand. Standing up, Kagome let the child lead her out of the store, not bothering to glance back at the cashier.

'_Strange kid.'_ The girl continued to hold onto her right hand as Kagome slowly made her way to her car.

"Are your parents around?" She asked. She wasn't really the best with kids, but they always seemed to cling on to her. It was the 'Because-I-don't-like-you-you'll-feel-the-need-to-cling-on-to-me' law.

"No. Daddy is at work and Kaede brought me shopping with her, but I got lost," the brown eyed child said innocently as Kagome sighed. She would have to bring the kid to the police station and tell them she found her.

"Okay, well, I'll take you to some very friendly people who will help find your father," Kagome told the girl, unlocking the car and opening the backseat door for her.

"Daddy says not to go with strangers," was the reply as Kagome scratched at her neck as she always did when she was frustrated, nervous, or just didn't know what to do. At the moment, she was a combination of all three.

"Okay then…well, my name's Higurashi Kagome. It's good to meet you," she tried to sound somewhat friendly, but at the moment all she wanted to do was go back to her apartment and eat some pocky.

"I'm Tashio Rin!" The small girl chirped with a smile.

"There, now we're not strangers anymore. Besides, if I was going to hurt you, I think I would have already done so," Kagome told Rin. "I mean, if you want I can walk with you if you know where you came from. Maybe someone's still there," the older woman offered.

"No, I don't think Kaede-san is still there and I don't really know where we were," Rin said, a guilty look coming onto her innocent face.

"Okay," kagome sighed. One trip for pocky and now she was stuck with a kid. Isn't life wonderful? "Well, hop into the car and I promise we'll find your dad. Okay?"

"You say okay a lot, Higurashi-san, but okay."

This was going to be one hell of a long night.


	2. 22:07 10:07 pm

**DISCLAIMER: Well, I guess it's obvious I don't own Inuyasha, right? I mean, clearly it would have gone a little differently if I did. :) **

**Change of plans. Different idea.**

**(and yeah, I know I spell damn it weird. But I LIKE IT THAT WAY!)**

22:07 (10:07 p.m.)

Sighing seemed to be something Kagome was doing a lot of tonight. Rin was happily sitting in the backseat of her old junky Jetta humming some tune or another, as Kagome griped the steering wheel tightly, hoping that not only would they get to the police station soon, but that her car wouldn't crap out on her again. It seemed to be doing that a lot lately, and Kagome didn't have time to get it looked at seeing as she wasn't the best with cars herself—more like, she accidently blew one up once trying to get it to work by playing with all the little pieces under the hood. That hadn't been a smart idea. Well, she had learned her lesson at least. She'd have to see if something could be done over the weekend.

On a completely different topic, the little kid in her car seemed extremely at ease for being in such a situation. It was like she didn't mind being driven around by a complete stranger, like it happened every day. If Kagome was in the girl's situation, she wouldn't know what to do. Freak out? Scream? Well, perhaps her luck wasn't _too_ bad. At least Rin was calm and not making this hard on Kagome.

"Were almost there," Kagome said, glancing at Rin in the rear view mirror. Looking back to the road, Kagome thought of how much she wanted to just get home. She had wanted to keep the girl from being alone in the police station, but where were they going now? The police station. Her efforts seemed to be for nothing.

"Well, kid, we're here," Kagome said as she pulled her car into the parking lot. "You'll have to come in with me."

"Ok," Rin said as her hands undid her seatbelt and stepped clumsily out of the car. Kagome then made sure her doors locked before hopping out of the metal contraption herself and letting Rin grab hold of her hand and drag her through the doors of the police station.

Seated behind a rather imposing desk was a young man with long black hair tied up in a pony tail. Figures he would be a demon. Everyone was a freaking demon! Everyone that had any sort of power, that is.

Of course, what actually surprised her was the fact that the man seemed to know the little girl.

"Rin?" He had stood up from his chair and was already in front of the girl, kneeling so he was eye-level. "Did you get lost again? Do you need me to call your father?"

At that Rin only looked up to the woman whose hand she still clasped. It was then that the police officer's attention was on the full grown woman in PJ's and Pikachu slippers.

"Yeah, she was wandering around a convenience store but they had to close," she said with a slight blush. The officer kept eying her slippers. What, a woman couldn't have a pair of Pikachu slippers?

"Ok, Miss…" He paused, waiting for her to give her name.

"Higurashi."

"Well, Miss Higurashi, I'm sure her father will be thankful for you finding her and bringing her safely here. You can leave her at the station and I'll make a call to her father," he motioned to some seats where Rin could sit while he made the call. However, Rin tightened her grip on Kagome's hand slightly. Kagome felt bad, the child clearly didn't want to be left alone. With a heavy feeling of guilt, Kagome spoke up. Stupid guilt.

"Um, actually I'd like to stay if that's alright. I just don't feel right leaving her."

The man nodded and the grip on her hand immediately slackened and she led Rin to the seats, sitting down next to the girl.

"Thank you," Kagome said and then the officer picked up a phone at the desk and quickly dialed the number from memory, as if this wasn't the first time he had called that number.

Ignoring as the man talked into the phone, she turned to Rin. "Do you get lost a lot?"

The girl shifted uncomfortably and then looked directly at Kagome. "It's not my fault! Kaede is just really good at disappearing!"

"Uh-huh. Sure."

"No Really!"

"Ok, ok! I believe you."

The two waited in silence before the officer hung up the phone and turned to Kagome.

"I'm afraid her father's not in right now. She'll have to wait here."

"Oh, ok." She turned to the small girl. "Should I stay?"

The girl seemed to contemplate for a moment before shaking her head.

"Well, alright, but I'll give you my number if anything happens, okay?" Kagome said, looking to the officer. "Do you have a pen and piece of paper?"

He retrieved the two things for her and she scribbled her home phone number down before giving it to Rin.

She returned the pen to the man before leaving with slight hesitation.

Going over to her car, she tried to open the door.

The door wouldn't budge.

She tried again.

Nothing.

Searching her pajama bottom's pockets for the keys, she found nothing.

She looked in the window and there sitting on the driver's seat were her keys.

Damn.

Kagome had always been in the habit of locking the car before she got out…too bad she had forgotten the keys.

And that was how she found herself back in the police station, explaining that her keys were stuck inside her _locked_ car.

This was beginning to be a very interesting night. Well, either it was interesting or irritating. Perhaps the second one was more accurate.


End file.
